Treehouse = freedom!

Now, I don't know if this is because of Swiss Family Robinson or what but I've always loved the tree house aesthetic, which to me means textured woods of every kind, shades of green and blue, white tile (click here to see the post where I found the above apartment.) It's that fun quality...like you're on an adventure and you find a tree that you want to sleep in for the night. You love the nook in the tree so much you decide to camp out for a week. During that week you fall in love with the local Tarzan and you guys shack up there and it turns into your forever house.

About 5 years ago, HGTV had this feature about a giant beach house in Hawaii owned by these wealthy socialites and it was completely open on the side facing the shore. I remember the house had this sort of fireman's pole that the kids could slide down to get from the second floor to the first, and I loved all of it because of that we're-havin'-an-adventure! feeling. They must have had a way to close it up at night, but I think I'd be too paranoid to have a house that was just open. It's laughable thinking how that would go over in Minnesota, with mosquitos in the summer, puffs of leafy winds in autumn and relentless blizzards in winter. I'll have to find another way to get the tree house feeling, but I loved that feature.

One of my good friends in elementary school had architects for parents, Zuber Architects, Inc., and they had this lake cabin which was a tiny one bedroom but it had a loft in the living room where the kids slept. The only way to get up there was this big wooden ladder. The thing I loved about it was this lever/pulley system with a basket that went up along the ladder, right next to it. We hauled books and snacks up there. We put the stuff in the basket, pulled the rope until the basket was at the top, climbed the ladder and voila. It was all very Treasure Island. Brilliant!

The Swiss Family Robinson Tree House in Disney Land, California.
I remember going when I was about 5 with my Aunt Marilyn.

My friend Liz's parent's house is built on this hill, so the back of the house, where this nice deck is, is level with the treetops in the backyard. It's amazing. You feel like a squirrel when you sit on their deck.


Also.......................today is my birthday and I would like to celebrate with a little Toothpaste for Dinner.